Stem Cell Marker Expression in Early Stage Colorectal Cancer is Associated with Recurrent Intestinal Neoplasia.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks second in cancer deaths worldwide and presents multiple management challenges, one of which is identifying high risk stage II disease that may benefit from adjuvant therapy. Molecular biomarkers, such as ones that identify stem cell activity, could better stratify high-risk cohorts for additional treatment.

Methods: To identify possible biomarkers of high-risk disease in early-stage CRC, a discovery set (n = 66) of advanced-stage tumors were immunostained with antibodies to stemness proteins (CD166, CD44, CD26, and LGR5) and then digitally analyzed.

Cost-Effectiveness of Continuous Support From a Layperson During a Woman's First Two Births.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and health outcomes related to continuous support from a layperson during a woman's first two births in a theoretical population.

Design: Cost-effectiveness analysis.

Participants: A theoretical cohort of 1.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Professional Doula Care for a Woman's First Two Births: A Decision Analysis Model.

Introduction: Multiple studies have demonstrated the benefits of intrapartum doula care, including lower risk for cesarean birth and shortened labor time for nulliparous women. However, analyses investigating the cost-effectiveness of doula care are limited. This study evaluated the potential cost-effectiveness of professional doula support during a woman's first birth in a theoretical population of US women, with all women having a second birth without doula care.

Monoclonal Antibodies Reveal Dynamic Plasticity Between Lgr5- and Bmi1-Expressing Intestinal Cell Populations.

Background & Aims: Continual renewal of the intestinal epithelium is dependent on active- and slow-cycling stem cells that are confined to the crypt base. Tight regulation of these stem cell populations maintains homeostasis by balancing proliferation and differentiation to support critical intestinal functions. The hierarchical relation of discrete stem cell populations in homeostasis or during regenerative epithelial repair remains controversial.

Cell Adhesion Molecule CD166/ALCAM Functions Within the Crypt to Orchestrate Murine Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis.

Background & Aims: Intestinal epithelial homeostasis is maintained by active-cycling and slow-cycling stem cells confined within an instructive crypt-based niche. Exquisite regulating of these stem cell populations along the proliferation-to-differentiation axis maintains a homeostatic balance to prevent hyperproliferation and cancer. Although recent studies focus on how secreted ligands from mesenchymal and epithelial populations regulate intestinal stem cells (ISCs), it remains unclear what role cell adhesion plays in shaping the regulatory niche.

Defining a stem cell hierarchy in the intestine: markers, caveats and controversies.

The past decade has appreciated rapid advance in identifying the once elusive intestinal stem cell (ISC) populations that fuel the continual renewal of the epithelial layer. This advance was largely driven by identification of novel stem cell marker genes, revealing the existence of quiescent, slowly- and active-cycling ISC populations. However, a critical barrier for translating this knowledge to human health and disease remains elucidating the functional interplay between diverse stem cell populations.